and refpectable father of this charitable Society, we every where meet with good fenfe, with a parental vigilance and zeal for its fuccefs, and with ftrokes of that pathetic and perfuafive eloquence which naturally fprings up in the breast of the orator, who has a clear head, a good heart, and who fpeaks because he feels.

ART. XII. The First and Second Georgic attempted in Blank Verfe. By Capel Loft. Small 8vo. 2s. 6d. Owen."

HE Georgics of Virgil are undoubtedly the most dif

THE

attempted by a tranflator. Hufbandry, though the moft ancient and the most ufeful of all arts, is not a fubject calculated for modern poetry. When the firft characters in antient Rome deferted with reluctance the plough-fhare for the fenate, the culture of the earth must have been the most advantageous fubject on which a poet could exercise his genius. But at prefent, when husbandry is managed almoft entirely by thofe, who are little accustomed to think and much lefs to read, any attempts to dignify and exalt it by the powers of poetry muft, it is to be expected, be entirely fruitlefs. Of thofe, who read the Georgics of Virgil in their original language, the number is very fmall, in comparifon of thofe who perufe the eclogues and the æneid. A tranflator therefore, who is capable of approaching the nearest to the fpirit of the original, cannot expect that his readers will be extremely numerous. He will, however, receive a fenfible fatisfaction from the praifes of the judicious, and the admiration of his friends. We with it were in our power to enfure this fpecies of approbation to the author of this tranflation. His reputation as a friend to freedom, and as a fincere lover of his country has raised him fo high in our esteem, that nothing less than that rigorous impartiality, for which we conceive ourselves pledged to the public, could induce us to pafs any cenfure upon his performance.

For a tranflator to excel in profe, a critical knowledge of the original language must be connected with a complete acquaintance with his own. But in poetry, to these muft be fuperadded the fpirit and the fire of genius. No wonder then that the number of good tranflations is fo very limited. To judge impartially of the performance before us, we muft compare fome paffages of the original with those which correfpond to them in the tranflation, and from thence determine that degree of merit or demerit which it poffeffes. it po ENG. REV. Vol. III. March 1784.

Virgil,

Virgil, in the opening of his firft Georgic, addreffes the tural deities in the following manner.

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Diique, Deaque omnes fudium quibus arva tueri ;
Quique novas alitis non ullo femine fruges;
Quique fatis largum cœlo dem ttitis imbrem?
Which Mr. Loft has thus translated;
And ye O gods, and all ye goddeffes,
Who tend well pleas'd the culture of the field
And rear the infant blade, and pour glad fhow'rs
Upon the thirsty corn, when harvest waits,
And eyes the golden wave and reaps in thought?

The perfonification of harveft is here ftrained and obscure, and has nothing to juftify it in the original.

In the original, industry and perfeverance are recommended to hufbandmen, and the neceffity of them illuftrated by the following beautiful fimile.

Sic Omnia fatis

In pejus ruere, ac retro fublapfa referri;

Non aliter, quam qui adverfo vix flumine lembum
Remigiis fubigit; fi brachia forte remifit,

Atque illum in præceps prono rapit alveus amni.”
Which is thus expreffed in the tranflation;
Thus all by fate,

Kufhing to worfe, relapfes; like a bark,
With difficulty urg'd against the stream,
By labouring oars; if once the arms relax
Inftant the headlong current hurries it,
And buries in the gulph."

The first fentence which introduces the fimile is here verf harthly expreffed, and must be quite unintelligible to the mere English reader. The last part of the fimile is entirely miftaken by the translator. Virgil fays, "when a man is "rowing with difficulty againft a ftream, if he happens to "relax his arms, immediately the tide drives him headlong "down the river." But Mr. Loft makes him go to the bottom, and buries him in the gulph, without hopes of reDovery.

In the conclufion of the firft Georgic Virgil laments the meglect into which husbandry has fallen by the horrors of

war.

-Tot bella

per

orben:
Tam multæ fcelerum facies: non ullus aratro,
Dignus bonos: fqualent abductis arma Colonis,
Et curvae rigidum falces conflantur in enfem,
Hine movet Euphrates, illinc Germania bellum;
Vicina ruptis inter fe legibus urbes,

Arma ferunt: fævit toto Mars impius orbe."
Which is thus tranflated.

'Oe'r earth fo many wars, So many horrid forms of hateful guilt,

And

And to the peaceful plough no honour paid.
Forlorn, and defolated meurn the plains,
Spoil'd widow'd of the cultivating hand.
The crooked fcythe converts to the rude fword,,
And neighbour states bursting from mutual ties,
War, impious Mars rages throughout the world.'

The active verb converts, inftead of is converted, is a li cence which nothing can juftify.-Bursting from mutual ties, war, if it be, as it feems, intended to exprefs-ruptis inter Je legibus arma ferunt,-is extremely harsh and ungrammatical.-Impius Mars, though in the original a very claffical expreffion, cannot with propriety be admitted into our language, fince the Englifh idiom does not allow Mars to be ufed for war.

Left it fhould be fufpected that we have partially felected a few objectionable paffages, we will prefent our readers with the translation of thofe much admired lines which conclude the fecond Georgic.

'O bleft indeed did they but know their Bliss The Village Swains, Far from tempeftuous War The Earth juft Parent pours their easy food.'

510

If not from ftately Porticos the throng
Of early fuitors rufhes; nor their gaze
On Columns dwells with varied fret o'erlaid,
Embroider'd Vests, and Ephyrean Brafs;

If their pure Wool no artful Colours ftain,

515

Or far fought Nard pollute their fimple Oil;
Yet is their Reft unbroken: Life fecure
Nor cheated with falfe hopes: but innocent,
And rich in various good, and leisure sweet

520

In fpreading plains; caverns, and living lakes;

And cool fequefter'd vales; and lowing herds;

And gentle flumbers in the leafy fhade!

Thefe they poffefs. And Lawns and Forefts wild,

And teeming with free life. And active Youth

Patient of Toil, with frugal fare content;

Religious Awe and venerable Age.

Here when to Heaven reluctant she retir'd

ME may

Juftice her latest lingering footsteps left.

the Mufes dearest above all

Whofe Rites, with boundless Love inflam'd I bear

530

Accept: teach me the Stars and paths of Heaven!

What Caufes veil the Sun and labouring Moon:

Whence thakes the Earth: and whence the vast of Sea

535

Swells, and its Barrier burfts, and calm'd retires.
Why to the Wave haftens the wintry Beam
And what thofe Laws which rule protracted Night.
But if thefe heights of Nature to approach,
The chill blood lingering round my heart forbid,
Yet may the plains and riguous vallies charm:

549

Rivers

Rivers and Woods, inglorious. Where, O where
Thy Bank Spercheous and Taygetus

Shrill with Laconian Revels. To the Vale
O'rhung by Hamus, who will bear me now
And hide me in the ample Depth of Shade.
Happy who can attain the Caufe of things!
Beneath his Feet fee every Fear, and Fate
Relentlefs, and devouring Acheron!

Nor he ill-ftarr'd who knows the rural Gods;
Pan and Silvanus and the fifter Nymphs.
Him, nor the Fafces, nor the Pomp of Kings,
Nor midft difcordant Brethren fecret Bane,
Or Dacian from confpiring Ifter, moves.
What fruits the willing Branches and the Earth
Spontaneous yields, he gathers: nor hath feen
The maddening Forum, or Tribunal stern.
While others tempt the Sea, rufh on the Sword;
Wind into Courts, and palaces invade;
Lay Cities wafte, and fpoil the wretched Roof
To drink from Gems, on Tyrian purple fleep;
This broods perpetual o'er his buried Gold;
This gazes on the Roftra; him the Applausc
Of Senators and People overwhelms
In the full Theatre: fraternal Blood
Eager to fled these their dear native home
Defert, and haften to a world remote.
The Peafant with the Share the Earth excites.
His Labour here: his Country hence he feeds;
His Children, Flocks, and well deferving Steers
And still the year or overflows with fruit;
Or tender yeanlings: or the heavy Sheaf;

545

550

555

5601

565

579

The furrow plenty clad, the barn o'erpower'd:
Winter the Sicyonian berry breaks.

On Acorns feat the, Swine: the Arbutus

575

Glows in the Wood: full Autumn pours his wealth,

And the rich vintage purples on the hill.

Mean time their Babes upon his Kiffes hang,
Virtue preferves the modeft Race. His Kine
Yield their diftended udders, and the Kids
On the fresh mead with playful horns contend.
The feftal day he celebrates; and stretch'd
Free on the Grafs thee Bacchus to the feast
Pouring new Wine he calls; while in the midst
The Altar flames, the focial Bowls are crown'd d;
And to the Herdfman the accuftom'd Prize
Propofes, who fhall happiest reach the Mark
Fixt for his Spear upon the veteran Elm;

And for strong wrestling bares their hardy limbs.
This Life of old the antient Sabines led?
This Romulus: Etruria ftrengthen'd thus:
And Rome became the Glory of the World,
And on feven hills fix'd her eternal feat.

580

Thus,

Thus, ere the Reign of Jove, ere yet the Race
Of impious Man fed on the flaughter'd Ox,
The golden Age of Saturn bleffed Mankind.
Nor yet the Clarion learnt to breathe; nor yet
Upon the Anvil temper'd gleam'd the Sword.
But we have finish'd an immenfe career

595

600

And now is time to unrein the moaking Steed.' In thefe, and in the whole of the tranflation the reader will find an inverted order of expreffion, which our language will not, with propriety, admit. An eafy flow of numbers, and a pleafing harmony of expreffion, will fometimes make confiderable amends for the obfcurity which this occafions. But, in the prefent cafe, the numbers are as harth and unpoetical, as the fentiments are obfcurely and unnaturally expreffed. The ftern brow of criticism has obliged us to decide thus roughly upon a performance; whofe author as a man, and as a friend of libe.ty we most exceedingly admire.

FOREIGN

LITERATURE. ART. XIII. OEuvres Pofthumes De M. De Montefquicų. A Londres 12mo. 1783.

TH

Pofthumous Works of Baron de Montefquieu. THOUGH this publication carries the date of London, we understand that the impreffion was really made at Paris, and this artifice employed because the volume is printed without a privilege. We cannot however fee any reason why this was done, as it is perhaps impoffible for any thing (politically fpeaking,) to be more harmlefs and inoffenfive than the volume before us.

There are certain topics of criticifin upon pofthumous publications, fo trite and thread bare, that we shall beg leave to decline them. We shall not now inform our readers, that the motive of this kind of publications is almost univerfally the love of lucre; we fhall not reprefent to them how inferior they are in every inftance to those compofitions that receive the laft hand of the author; neither, laftly, fhall we difplay our ingenuity and penetration, by adducing arguments to prove that they are fpurious and fuppofititious. We have indeed another objection to the topics befides their tritenefs, which is, that they are frequently pushed too far and infifted upon too undiftinguishingly; and that the last of them efpecially has very rarely indeed the fmalleft shadow of foundation.

The little effays, that are here given to the world, have every internal mark of genuineness. The ftyle carries in

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every